1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to the field of flat panel displays and more specifically to a flat panel display that utilizes electrooptic techniques to minimize the required addressing circuitry.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Flat panel displays are useful for the display of alphanumeric and graphic information in applications including computer readouts, plotting and tracking displays and the like. Such displays are lighter in weight than CRT displays and due to their flat panel construction may be placed in consoles having a more limited depth than required for CRT's.
Most flat panel displays utilize an array of small discrete electro-sensitive areas known as pixels, that either generate light or reflect light in response to an electrical signal. The pixels may comprise a.c. or d.c. electroluminescent material, gas discharge cells, light emitting diodes, liquid crystals, etc., and may be addressed either individually, or in a matrix array with half-select techniques. Displays of practical size, however, require a large number of addressing circuits even when organized in a matrix array, thereby significantly increasing the cost and complexity of the resulting display system. For example, a flat panel display containing 10,000 pixels in a 100 by 100 row and column configuration would require up to 10,000 individual circuits for each pixel in a direct addressing system. Most matrix organized flat panel displays, however, utilize a row and column addressing system in which the pixels in an individual row have a lead in common, and the pixels in each column also have a lead in common. Thus, by addressing the appropriate column and row, individual pixels may be energized. For the previous examples of the 100 by 100 matrix display, 200 addressing circuits would be required, 100 for the rows and 100 for the columns. The present invention provides for a greatly reduced number of addressing circuits useful in conjunction with display media that have a steep brightness voltage threshold, such as, for example, electroluminescent materials and display media having a steep brightness voltage threshold and inherent memory, such as d.c. plasma panels.